Idols worth Rs 1 crore seized, 5 held

Published on 20 May 2011

Author(s): Deccan Herald

Type: News

The Central Crime Branch police arrested five persons and seized four antique ‘panchaloha’ idols worth more than Rs one crore.

The suspects are Prashanth (36), a resident of Kapu in Surathkal taluk in Dakshina Kannada, Anand (20) of Harohalli, Lakshminarasimha (31) of Bannerghatta Main Road, Madhukar Shetty (39) of Koramangala and Sudheendra (35) of Madivala.

The police raided New Max Bean Bag shop in Jayanagar and seized the idol of Lord Krishna weighing 1.3 kg, a Lakshminarayana idol weighing 2.9 kg, an idol of a goddess weighing 500 grams, an idol of Balakrishna weighing 500 grams, two bikes, Rs 4,300 and four cellphones.

They had allegedly stolen the idols from Mahanth Mutt at Niluvagilu in Chikmagalur district and were planning to smuggle them.

Three cases of dacoity and robbery have been registered against Anand in Talaghattapura police station and Mariyammanahalli police station in Hospet taluk.

Four arrested

The police have arrested four persons for flesh trade and seized Rs 10,300 and four cellphones.

The suspects are Meena (30) from Mattikere, Nethravathi (23), Nazma Sultan (19), both from Basaveshwaranagar and Ramesh Babu (40) from Rajajinagar. The police raided a house in Basaveshwaranagar and arrested them.

Police said Arun Kumar and his wife Sujatha had rented the house owned by Puttegowda to run a brothel. The couple are absconding.